The invention relates to an apparatus for the central arrangement of electrical connector elements in motor vehicles. Such an apparatus is conventionally designated a connector block.
In the past, it was usual for such connector blocks to be constructed in such a way that the metallic conductor plates contained therein were separated electrically from one another by plastic plates or layers of plastic.
Such connector blocks, however, have a number of disadvantages. For example, in some cases the plastic coating or plastic plates become cracked, so that faultless electrical insulation is no longer assured. Such fault areas could not be localized. Furthermore, the connector blocks are heated substantially in operation with, for example, ignition current of up to 50 amperes being conducted through the connector block, so that failures due to too high a voltage drop resulted. In addition, frequent leakage currents arose, resulting from moisture developing between the layers of plastic. Such leakage currents could not be localized nor reproduced, since the leakage may or may not occur depending on weather circumstances. These and other inherent disadvantages results in a whole series of motor vehicles having had to be recalled for replacement of connector blocks. In assembling the plastic plates and conductor plates (a layered construction process), the process has the disadvantage that the tolerances of the individual plates are additive. The terminals connected with the individual conductor plates, therefore, project to varying extents out of the housing.
It is also to be noted that with prior connector blocks, the terminals were usually subsequently connected to the conductor plates. This is relatively costly, and leads to additional potential sources of failure.